Page 61 of Ten Lords for the Holidays

She would not be dissuaded. Alexander was in peril of being enchanted by this damsel. “It is the food that I love best there,” he confided, then patted his padded belly. “I could eat all the day long there, and invariably, I need to have my waistcoats let out after a sojourn in London.”

She laughed lightly. “Perhaps I would have to loosen my stays.”

Alexander nearly offered to help with that task, but he recalled himself. He giggled in a frivolous fashion. “Oh, I have to loosen mine!” he confided in a girlish voice.

She faltered only briefly, then fixed her attention upon him again. “But you must find some appeal at Airdfinnan. Surely the hunting is excellent there.”

“I am told that it is, and I suppose we do eat game there with some frequency.” Alexander made a moue of distaste. “But I could never hunt. To kill something? Never! The blood! The horror!” He waved his hands helplessly, then seized upon his fork and gobbled his roast duck and gravy.

“I love to hunt,” Miss Goodenham admitted, much to his surprise. “I’ve only been once, though. My cousin, the viscount, invited us this autumn after he returned to North Barrows with his new wife. I found it thrilling.”

‘Thrilling’ was exactly how Alexander felt about the hunt.

Indeed, the quest he undertook was a hunt and he savored every moment of it.

His mouth went dry. It was easy to imagine riding to hunt at Airdfinnan with this alluring beauty by his side.

“I suppose the weather was fine,” he said.

She laughed and he’d never heard a more wondrous sound. “It was horrible, Your Grace! It rained and rained. We were filthy with muck, but my cousin took a deer. It was so exciting!” Her eyes shone at the memory, and Alexander found himself shifting on his chair.

This was madness. He could not have any matter in common with this beautiful girl. He should not be tempted. He had no time for distraction.

Not until this mission was completed and the villain brought to justice.

Despite Anthea’s challenge.

In the back of his mind, Alexander was already considering the merit of opening the London house early, and journeying there from Cornwall himself. If his mission was successful, he would have to return the gem to Cushing and make his report to the crown, after all. What harm would it be to take the delightful Miss Goodenham shopping?

“Perhaps you are a better man than me, Miss Goodenham,” he said with a giggle.

She smiled at him. “Perhaps opposites truly do attract, Your Grace.”

Oh, she was bold, and he was charmed.

“Dessert!” he cried, putting down his cup so sloppily that he might have been drunk. His wine spilled. Miss Goodenham had taken only the barest sip of her wine. Rupert filled his cup again, then brought him a pudding.

“Is it apple?” Miss Goodenham asked. She watched as he tasted it.

“I suppose it might be. It needs a rum sauce to be edible,” Alexander declared, although it was delicious, and Rupert left in pursuit of that very thing.

“May I be so bold as to ask your destination, Your Grace?”

“Cornwall. My doctor believes that the sea air will be restorative, though I will not bore you with a full list of my maladies...”

“Cornwall!” Miss Goodenham said, interrupting him with delight. He nodded warily. “Well, that is where we are going,” she confessed. “To Castle Keyvnor. There will be a double wedding there on Christmas Eve. I think it is so romantic!”

They had the same destination.

Praise be that he had remained consistent with his disguise.

And he would see her again. His heart lurched at the prospect.

Miss Goodenham continued. “We were there at All Hallows, and now we return for the weddings. Where in Cornwall are you destined, Your Grace?”

“My man has booked a room in some place called Bowkum...” He waved to the returning Haskell as if he’d forgotten their destination.

“Bocka Morrow, Your Grace,” Haskell supplied. “The inn is called The Mermaid’s Kiss. It is most reputable.”

---